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 Previous: The Seed Planted Finally Bears Fruit |  Next: Inside Your League--Educational Services |
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 9, 2001--Amateur Radio reports indicate severe damage from Hurricane Iris, as the Category 4 storm struck the Central American nation of Belize. Reports gathered via the Hurricane Watch Net by W4EHW operators at the National Hurricane Center say Iris--since downgraded to a tropical depression--destroyed houses and claimed at least six lives there.
Iris was the most severe hurricane of the current season. After passing through the Caribbean as a Category 1 storm, Iris built into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 MPH and made landfall the evening of Monday, October 8, on the southern coast of Belize, near the towns of Big Creek and Placentia.
According to W4EHW Deputy Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4JR, the net received reports last night via Bruce Miller, V31JU, of severe damage to the Placentia and Big Creek villages. Miller, who lives in Gallon Jug, Belize, some 50 miles north of the sparsely populated landfall area, is a veteran hurricane survivor, having weathered Hurricane Keith last year.
Ripoll said the reports cited severe structural damage to all of the houses in Placentia and Big Creek--well-known as diving and fishing destinations for tourists and having a local population of about 1500 people. Most houses are wood frame-on-stilts construction.
"Many houses are completely blown away," Miller was quoted as saying. "Most houses that had concrete block walls, had no roofs." Ripoll said no casualties were reported at that time by the village residents.
"The same was not true for a couple of dive liveaboard charter boats that were moored off in the deep harbor of Placentia," Ripoll said. He said the ship Wave Dancer, a 120-foot vessel that takes scuba enthusiasts out for a week of diving along the Belize coast, had capsized. One person was reported dead and 15 others are missing and feared lost--at least some of them US tourists.
Another diving charter, Vin Dora, reported five dead and an unknown number trapped beneath the hull after the vessel capsized. "The last report from the Vin Dora has not been confirmed," Ripoll cautioned.
Ripoll said ham radio reports came from many V31 stations and from vessels trying to ride out the storm. One regular reporting station was Allison Barton, KF6HYJ/mm, aboard the 42-foot sailboat Dreamer near New Haven, Belize, with her husband, Mike. "They had moored the sailboat to four anchors and were trying to ride it out at sea," Ripoll said. "Allison kept us informed of the conditions and HWN Net Controls were always checking on their welfare."
As Iris approached landfall, KF6HYJ/mm came on the air to report that the vessel had broken free of all four anchors and run aground. "We are happy to report that the last transmission from Allison was that although they had sustained damage to the sailboat, they were both safe and unharmed," Ripoll said.
Beryl Nelson, VP5DB, told ARRL that he had received information that Donna, KU4OU, on the Honduran Bay Island of Roatan had alerted other cruisers in the Rio Dulce of Dreamer's plight. Nelson said that during a later schedule with KF6HYJ it was learned the couple cannot start the engine since the water intake is high and dry. "They are setting up tent on shore to move into," Nelson said. Another station, Don Kay, K0IND, telephoned Mike Barton's parents and was planning to contact other family members as well as the US Embassy in Belize and the US Coast Guard.
 Bruce Miller, V31JU, provided weather and damage reports from Belize via Amateur Radio. |
Meanwhile, Nelson said that Carel van Heerden, KF4PHC, aboard the sailing vessel Obsession in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, said he would come to Dreamer's assistance as soon as possible. Other amateurs also have offered assistance, Nelson said.
Over the weekend, the Hurricane Watch Net and W4EHW's Amateur Radio Group received many live surface-weather reports from Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Honduras, Roatan Island and Belize, as Iris tracked through the Caribbean, Ripoll said.
Iris, then with winds of 85 MPH, passed about 25 miles south of Jamaica. "Iris had made a jog to the south just hours before approaching Jamaica, where it had been on a direct track for Kingston," he said. "We are happy that very few reports of damage or flooding and no reports of fatalities were received. Many thanks go to the many 6Y5 stations that called in surface reports."
Ripoll issued special thanks to Mike Matalon, 6Y5MM, a regular reporting station from Jamaica and HWN member "for his very detailed and measured weather surface reports" from the emergency operations center in Kingston throughout Iris' passage.
"At one point, the Prime Minister of Jamaica walked into the radio room and listened to Mike as he sent in surface reports to W4EHW," Ripoll said. "He commented to Mike how pleased he was with the services ham radio was providing and was impressed how Mike could talk directly to the Hurricane Center in Miami."
 The pleasure ship Wave Dancer reportedly capsized as Iris struck Belize, leaving at least one person dead and more than a dozen others missing. |
W4EHW and the Hurricane Watch Net first activated Saturday, October 6, and--with some breaks--stayed on the air through the early hours of Tuesday, October 9, on the HWN's 14.325 MHz frequency. W4EHW also received reports via the Internet. Forecasters use the real-time surface reports to help them predict a storm's path, intensity and damage potential.
Ripoll said the W4EHW operators congratulated the HWN net control station "for an excellent job maintaining continuous communications from the affected areas to the Hurricane Center throughout Hurricane Iris." The W4EHW team also thanked "the many stations in the affected areas for sending valuable measured weather surface reports and visual observations."
At last report, Iris had weakened to a tropical depression over eastern Mexico. Forecasters continue to call for up to four inches of rain over portions of northern Central America and Eastern Mexico that could cause life-threatening flooding and mud slides. Forecasters also reported that Tropical Depression Jerry failed to develop into a significant storm.
HWN Manager Jerry Herman, N3BDW, thanked Bob Botik, K5SIV; Bobby Graves, KB5HAV; Dave Spitler, KA5CRL; and Craig Huntsinger, K3CWH, for serving as the mainstays of the Net over the long weekend.
W4EHW was on the air for nine shifts, a total of 28 hours. Operators included Manny Corp, WD4ACJ; Mike Davis, AF4VJ; Frank Drewniany, W4AKI; John Graves, KF4MBG; Gary Jacobs, WA4PDM; Phyllis Jacobs, WB4VRV; Joel Kandel, KI4T; John McHugh, KU4GY; and Julio Ripoll, WD4JR.
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